Scarring the Beautiful
by I.M. Nohbdy
Summary: AU...Following her mother's death, Kagome is sent to live in a group foster home until other arrangements can be made. As she meets the other residents in the home, she comes to realize that joy can be found even in unhappy times.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I think we all know that I do not own Inuyasha.  
  
An Autumn Morning  
  
Sitting in the rusted lawn chair, she was able to take in her surroundings freely.  
'Tennis court, pool...it feels like home. But I know it's not,' she concluded, as her eyes swept over the landscape again. Sighing, she rested her chin on her knees. 'My home's not anywhere near this luxurious.'  
But even she had to admit that the lavishness of this place was limited. True, if the commodities were to exist in words only, they might be considered opulent....but seeing and believing are two different things.  
  
Vines intertwined with the holes in the chain link fence, their tangles practically obstructing the court from view. Not that it was any better inside of the cage. The cement that might have served some purpose at one point now lay in shambles. Chunks of the matter littered the court, while in other areas weeds had begun to grow from the cracks that then and now shot through it. And the net....it stood like a prostitute. Tall and proud, it was unwilling to admit how broken it truly was. Across the way, lay the pool. A miniature of the beauty that only nature was capable of creating.  
'It's in a sad need of some tending to,' she thought with a smirk, as she took in the water's green tint. Turning away from it as if it gave off a putrid stench, she thought, 'How vile....'  
The sudden stillness that surrounded her was broken, as a soft wind began to breathe throughout the grounds. Strands of hair fell across her face as the wind blew harder, causing the surrounding foliage to emit a dull roar. Surprised at the sound's magnitude, she once again shot her glance over the surrounding area, her eyes frantic. A little more than simply afraid, she saw how much greenery truly surrounded her. So much.too much. It was locking her in. She felt her breath leaving her in a rush. Something wasn't right....amongst all this peace, all this tranquility....something wasn't right. And the worst thing was....she had no idea what it might be.  
  
The sudden wails of the alarm clock jolted her out of her dreams, causing her to literally jump out of bed. Shooting mental daggers at the source of the incessant ringing, she breathed in the morning air deeply in a pathetic attempt to ease her fast beating heart.  
'My greatest phobia..is the sound of that damn contraption,' she thought grimly. 'Definitely makes me feel brave.'  
Disentangling her legs from crimson sheets, she lunged at the clock. Pressing any and all buttons her tired fingers could find, she was finally able to silence the time piece. Processing the illuminated numbers in her head, she was able to make out the digits '5:30'.  
'I hate the morning,' she thought dejectedly, sleep sore eyes turning back towards her cozy bed. It looked so nice and warm and soft and..oh, she just wanted to go back to sleep so badly!  
'Maybe I could lie down for just a couple more minutes..' she thought as she absent mindedly bit her lower lip, '..after all, mum will be up in a few.'  
As if to verify this statement, a sudden ringing went off a few rooms away. Eyes widening in fear at the sound, she slammed her head down on the bed, drawing a pillow over it to block out the heinous buzzing. As odd as this position was, it felt extremely comfortable. Snuggling deeper into the sheets that surrounded her, she let out a stifled yawn.  
'She'll wake me before it gets too late,' were her last comprehensible thoughts before she once again succumbed to her subconscious.  
  
Heat. The warmth that overcame her felt completely unbearable. Easing open one eye, she peered out in the direction of the slanting window that was currently pouring sunlight onto her still form.  
'That's a little bright for this early in the morning,' she conceded as she turned her gaze towards the now silent alarm clock. Bolting upright, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, willing herself to be wrong. But still the little lights screamed at her: "9:14!!!"  
"Mum.." she muttered with a hint of disdain. Hastily exiting her room, she marched towards where she knew her mother would be. And that would be in bed..sleeping. Probably in much the same way that she had been only moments ago.  
Bursting through the closed door, she paused mid rant when she realized the bed was missing something..namely her mother. Confused, she made her way to the window at the front of the room, the one overlooking the driveway. Her mum's car was still here, so she was obviously still in the house.  
'Bathroom?' she inwardly questioned. She could have lost track of time while in the shower or something. 'Yeah, that sounds right,' she thought as she made her way towards the bathroom, grinning at her stupendous deduction abilities. Stopping in front of the door, she knocked once out of courtesy. No answer. But that was to be expected.  
'Especially if you're taking a shower, you can't hear much with all that water,' she deliberated, even though she couldn't hear any running water. Turning the knob, she expected nothing. As the door creaked open, she expected nothing. Even as her eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting, she expected nothing. But expectations fall short of reality. And reality had decided to draw a gruesome picture.  
As crimson trails meandered their way down her mother's pale skin, hesitating at the edges only to fall onto the white marble floor below, she could only gape at how beautiful it all seemed. She stood there in awe for what seemed ages, the flickering light casting shadows over the broken form of her mother.  
  
....................................  
  
He involuntarily shivered as his forehead came in contact with the cold glass, sending shivers throughout his body. Rubbing the palms of his hands over his arms, he glanced through the window panes at the courtyard below. The sun had just begun to caress the green earth with its rays, the still dew drenched ground radiating the light. But his eyes were blinded to the wonder that was evolving before him. Rather, he was entirely focused on the single tree that stood in the stone encased meadow.  
'The only glimpse of beauty that any of us might see for some time,' he thought bitterly. Letting out a heavy sigh, he wiped away the residue his hot breath left on the window, allowing his golden eyes to settle on the tree once more. The sun now shone down fully on the wooden giant, its leaves capturing the sun and holding onto a soft glow. The branches of the tree shone with the warmth of the red and yellow foliage, causing him to inwardly sigh.  
'Autumn......' he thought, eyes averted from the majestic being that so often intrigued him. Bringing his knees up, he rested his chin in the crook between the two, his face taking on a pensive look. 'This season gives off nothing but lies. It masques itself with a face of splendor; while hidden behind it lies the paleness of death.' He grimaced as he turned his head back towards the tree. 'For a time, we are deceived..given a momentary hope. Only to one day open our eyes to finally see that everything was dying all along. And the life will crunch beneath our feet as we walk back to our homes in despair.'  
He swung his legs over the sill in a sudden move, turning his back to the view behind him.  
"Feh," he snorted angrily. He hated letting himself sound so philosophical. It just made him feel stupid. "Just like a goddamn pansy or some dipshit like that..saying all this emotional bull." He mumbled this to himself quietly, his hand falling onto his left wrist. Pulling the sleeve of his shirt back, he stared absently at the faint, red lines that adorned his pale skin. Rubbing his fingers across them, he thought back to his reasons for inflicting this pain upon himself. There were so many..too many for him to revisit without wanting to add another reminder to his already scarred arm. He quickly yanked the sleeve back down, trying to breathe evenly so as to settle his fast beating heart.  
'I don't want to live any of it over again. I'm just..not ready.' He hung his head in defeat, knowing that he was still too weak to deal with his dark past.  
He was about to turn back to the outside world, when the sound of music reached his ears. Turning his head towards the sound, he strained to identify it. Suddenly, realization hit and he smiled knowingly. 'So you've finally decided to wake up, eh?' he thought. 'Thank Kami your violin skills have improved. Now I can finally talk to you without wanting to cringe.'  
And with that, he leapt down from his perch on the windowsill, pausing for one final look before he went on his way. Turning to proceed down the hallway from which he had come, the sunlight made an attempt to reach out for his shadow enshrouded form. Settling on him for the shortest of breaths, it bathed his weary features before he was once again consumed by darkness.  
  
....................................  
  
"On My Own"  
The Used  
  
See all the people on the ground, wasting time  
I try to hold it all inside  
Just for tonight  
The top of the world, I'm sitting here wishing  
The things I've become, but something is missing  
Maybe I.well, what do I know?  
  
And now it seems that I have found.nothing at all  
I want to hear your voice out loud  
Slow it down, slow it down  
Without it all I'm choking on nothing  
It's clear in my head, and I'm screaming for something  
Knowing nothing is better than knowing at all 


	2. Every Journey Begins with One Step

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha..although you probably knew that to begin with.  
  
Poking her head out of the car window, Mrs. Lili Chan squinted her eyes against the bright sunlight. She peered intently over the seemingly endless line of cars before her, hoping to see what might be causing the traffic jam. Pulling her head back into the interior of the small Toyota, she shot a glare at the knobs that should have been controlling the emission of cold air into the vehicle.  
'Of course the air conditioner has to be broken right in the middle of a heat wave,' she thought unhappily. She lifted her hand to her forehead, pushing back the offending strands of hair from her sweat drenched brow. Sighing, she wondered why she had ever decided to move from her native China to Japan.  
'Everything is so different. The customs, the people, the food, the weather.the language.' She actually grimaced at this thought, remembering the hours that she had spent on learning how to speak the Japanese language properly. But all that time and hard work had paid off. Now, she was able to speak with only a slight Chinese accent. Indeed, she was quite proud of her accomplishment, but she sometimes wished she had remained in Beijing. Why had she ever thought it necessary to leave?  
Hearing a muffled cough from the backseat, her eyes rose to the rear view mirror and settled on the reflection of a young girl staring idly out the open window. Her face softened at the sight of the teenager as her heart filled with compassion. She could see the fading marks of tears glistening in the sun on the girl's pale cheeks; the white of her eyes marred by red lines, a result of either excessive crying or lack of sleep. Mrs. Chan supposed it might have been caused by both. Lowering her gaze from the child behind her, she stared thoughtfully at the waves of heat rising from the highway.  
'Why did I leave China? How can I forget when my reason is sitting behind me?' she gingerly pressed her foot onto the gas pedal, accelerating the car a few feet. Upon stopping, she glanced into the mirror once again. It seemed the girl had hardly moved, hardly even breathed since they'd begun their trek almost two hours ago. 'I came to help you.' she thought sadly. '.you and all the other children who've had more than their fair share of suffering.'  
Said girl began to squirm somewhat uncomfortably in the leather seat which her legs were now apparently stuck to. Seeing this sign of life as an opportunity to draw the girl out of her silence, Mrs. Chan cleared her throat.  
"We should reach Tanrei House within the hour," she called over her shoulder. "That is, if the traffic lightens up." She glanced back at the raven haired girl, hoping for a response. Nothing. She sighed slightly, feeling defeated. Suddenly sitting up straight, she set a determined look across her features.  
'I will not give up that easily,' she decided. Turning her head towards the girl, she smiled brightly.  
"Perhaps you'd like it if I turned on the radio for a while? Or maybe you'd like to listen to a c.d.?"  
The girl in question slowly turned her head away from the window and stared straight at the woman before her. Mrs. Chan continued to smile even though the child's sad eyes were effectively breaking her heart.  
'Maybe I shouldn't have disturbed her.she probably has a good deal to think about anyway,' she thought with a frown. She began to turn away from the girl, when a sound made her pause in her movements.  
"The radio would be nice," a small voice said.  
Mrs. Chan allowed a small smile to once again grace her face as she reached for the small knob marked 'Radio On'.  
  
=*  
  
Kagome watched the movements of the woman before her with a casual eye. She seemed nice enough, but, then again, most people would be nice to a person in her situation. Kagome blinked her dark eyes quickly, refusing to allow herself to cry. 'I will not be weak. I can handle this.,' she took in a deep breath of the humid air, giving herself a chance to regain control over her emotions. She looked back towards the woman.Mrs. Chan was who she had introduced herself as. The petite woman was currently bent over the built in radio attempting to find a worthy station to listen to.  
Kagome suppressed a smile, not thinking it to be proper to show happiness when one was in mourning. The corners of her mouth tilted up anyway, as she looked on.  
'Her face looks so funny like that,' she thought. 'It's all scrunched up and so determined looking.'  
At that moment, Mrs. Chan let out a small yip of joy, apparently having found an adequate station. As the music began to fill the car, Kagome noticed that the lady was tapping her fingers against the steering wheel in time to the beat. She held back another grin at the sight. It reminded her of something her mother would do.  
  
"How does this song go again, Kagome?" her mother asked for what must have been the seventh time. She turned up the volume and listened intently to the words, trying to get them right.  
Kagome smiled at the look on her mother's face. Her features shone with determination as her mouth silently formed the words in broken English:  
"As we crawl up the stairs, grabbing everything falling down."  
The words coming from Ms. Higurashi sounded nothing at all like what was coming from the speakers in the car. It came out sounding more like:  
"Aj wae clawr uhp ta shtale, glabbin eveliting fawringdowrn."  
Kagome held back a giggle, knowing that she would probably hurt her mother's feelings. After all, she was just beginning to get a good grasp on the strange language, while Kagome had been taking it for almost two years at school. In fact, her mother was doing relatively well for someone who had just started. The sound of her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts.  
"Why does your teacher want you to listen to this music, again?"  
"Well, Mr. Lee said that it would help us to process the English words faster," she replied, turning the volume down as she did so.  
"They do say the words to the song terribly fast," her mother agreed. "Far too fast for me."  
Ms. Higurashi shot a playful glance at her daughter as she once again turned up the volume. Kagome crossed her arms against her chest and stuck out her tongue much like a small child would have done. Her mother laughed at this reaction but made no move to adjust the volume. Rather, she turned it up a little more, but faded the sound of the voices out to a minimum. The sounds of the different instruments filled the car as Ms. Higurashi tapped her hands against the steering wheel in time to the music.  
She smiled at her daughter sitting beside her as she spoke, "I may not understand English very well, Kagome, but music is a universal language."  
Kagome grinned at her mum. "Eh? And just what is the music telling you?" Her mother pondered the question for a moment, ear leaning towards one of the speakers while one of her fingers continued to tap out a beat. She suddenly snapped her fingers, a look of complete confidence covering her face.  
"It tells me to have hope. That everything will be alright as long as we have someone to love."  
Kagome merely gave a slight nod in acknowledgment to her mother's answer. Reaching for a knob on the machine, the voices began to grow louder.  
".we're finding hope in light, you're my dreams tonight. With you I'm falling in love for the very first time."  
Kagome's mind quickly registered the foreign words, their meaning dawning on her. She turned to her mother with her mouth opened slightly in surprise.  
"How did you know that that was what the song was talking about?" she questioned earnestly.  
Her mother tweaked her nose and smiled, as she said, "Music is a language. You just need to take the time to understand what it is saying."  
  
Now sitting in the hot car, her legs practically glued to the seat, she wondered if Mrs. Chan could understand what the music was saying. In fact, she wondered if she, herself, even knew what it was that the guitars and drums were saying at the moment. Turning back to the open window, she let out a heavy sigh. A slight breeze blew a few pieces of hair off of her face as she sadly realized that her mother was probably the only one who spoke in the language of music. She absently noted that the white lines on the pavement were beginning to go by at an increasing rate. They were on their way again, she supposed. Maybe they would reach Tanrei House within the hour just as Mrs. Chan had said.  
  
=*  
  
Inuyasha lay idly on his friend's bed, every now and then throwing a gummy bear in his mouth.  
"You always manage to have something small and sweet in your room, Miroku," he said, while biting the head off of a red bear.  
Miroku smiled over his shoulder, part of his face blocked by the violin held beneath his chin. "That's how I like them.small and sweet."  
The now empty container that the gummy bears had been in flew towards his head, effectively hitting him square in the nose.  
"You pervert! You know damn well that's not what I was talking about!" yelled a seemingly annoyed, though truly amused, Inuyasha. As much as he hated to admit it, he enjoyed his friend's warped sense of humor.  
Miroku merely laughed at Inuyasha's feigned outrage, rubbing his nose slightly. 'Ouch.that actually hurt.'  
Turning away from the golden eyed boy, he tried to focus on the music before him. Brushing a stray lock of black hair out of his face, he positioned the violin back under his chin and raised the bow.  
As the music began to emit from the small instrument, Inuyasha made a valiant attempt to not cringe. Miroku might have improved since he first began playing the violin, but in all actuality that wasn't saying much.  
'I think I feel a headache coming on,' Inuyasha thought, as he clamped his hands over his ears. 'I have got to make him stop.'  
Miroku, who apparently did not notice the effect his playing had on his friend, just continued plucking away at the strings. Meanwhile, Inuyasha was now scrunched up in what resembled a fetal position. His mind was working furiously as he tried to come up with some way to make the noise cease. He could almost feel his ear drums exploding.  
He quickly sputtered the first thing that came to mind. "Miroku," he called over the din, "How was yesterday?"  
Miroku's movements stopped suddenly, a little surprised at the question. He regained his composure and plastered on another smile before turning back to his friend.  
"It went well. Doctor Kanwa said that I was fit as a fiddle," he laughed at his own joke.  
Inuyasha shot him a deadpan look, amazed at how utterly lame the boy before him could be. "That was completely idiotic."  
"Oh, come on. I know you thought it was funny. You're just jealous 'cause you're not as witty as me."  
"Don't be a retard," Inuyasha huffed.  
Miroku grinned, absolutely loving the fact that he could irk Inuyasha so much. He was about to resume playing when Inuyasha moved from his position on the bed, and walked over to him.  
"But, really.I want to know. How did yesterday go?"  
Miroku averted his eyes from his friend's face, and began to strum the chords on the instrument. "It went.okay," he conceded. "Not so good, not so bad."  
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, trying to keep any trace of concern from his voice.  
"Well, I haven't caught any of the colds going around," Miroku shrugged. "So they think my immune system might be getting a little stronger."  
"But." Inuyasha prompted.  
"But." Miroku scratched his head with his free hand, not wanting to show how worried what he was about to say made him. "Doctor Kanwa said that my body hasn't been responding to the medication properly. He's not sure whether to take me off of it or not; he says that the other treatments available aren't certified yet, so he's not sure how they would affect me."  
"Damn," was all Inuyasha could say. He didn't know what else to say. Looking at the kid before him, he could only feel pity. Pity because there appeared to be nothing that could be done to save Miroku. Inuyasha crossed his arms and lowered his chin to his chest. He'd never admit to it, but he pitied himself, too. Without Miroku, he'd be all alone. It might have been a selfish thought, but it was true. Everything was so unfair. He looked up when he heard Miroku laughing quietly.  
"What the hell's wrong with you?" he asked in a peeved voice, raising one dark eyebrow as he did so.  
"It's just kind of amusing," Miroku said with a slight chuckle. He looked at Inuyasha and grinned, "It's kind of fitting that I'd die because of having too much sex." Inuyasha joined in on his perverted friend's laughter, the events involving the violin completely forgotten.  
To anyone passing by Miroku's room that morning, they would have heard nothing but jovial laughter. But to the two inside, the joyous sound rang out hollow, masking their true feelings.  
  
=*  
  
"Ashala Rock"  
The Early November  
  
As we crawl up the stairs  
Grabbing everything falling down  
We rip the shades to see the light  
Finding hope in broken light  
  
Just as we see some sky  
I turn my head and then I close my eyes  
I know that this won't end  
It's just finding out the right way to begin  
  
We're finding hope in light'  
You're my dreams tonight  
With you I'm falling in love  
For the very first time  
  
Crawling up these stairs  
Grabbing everything that's falling down  
We rip the shades down  
To see the sky and all it's light  
  
We're finding hope in light  
You're my dreams tonight  
With you I'm falling in love  
For the very first time  
  
Open up my arms  
When you fall in  
We're looking up at stars  
We're singing along  
We're talking and we're singing our way home  
  
. 


	3. Home for Now

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi rawks my socks, and she should darn well rawk yours. I don't steal from people I respect, thus Inuyasha shall remain with the sensei.  
  
Home for Now  
  
"We're almost there."  
The sound of Mrs. Chan's voice snapped Kagome out of her reverie, causing her to turn her head towards the woman.  
Looking at Kagome by use of the rearview mirror, Mrs. Chan continued, "If you look out your window you can just see Tanrei House over the treetops."  
Kagome followed these instructions, allowing her eyes to scan the area for her new home. When she first caught sight of it, she was a bit surprised she hadn't seen it sooner. It loomed over the surrounding trees, casting a heavy shadow over the land. Kagome blinked her eyes trying to shake off the feeling that this.place was a haunted castle of sorts.  
'Although,' she had to admit, 'It does look pretty creepy.'  
From her vantage point, Tanrei House seemed to be primarily built of dark grey stone, with the occasional addition of metal.  
'Metal..' Kagome thought, 'That's weird.' Even from a distance Kagome could make out the form of bars of metal. They seemed to be covering something, though she couldn't quite figure what it was.  
'Bah,' she deliberated, as Mrs. Chan turned off onto the exit that would take them to her 'home', 'I guess I'll find out soon enough.'  
Closing her eyes, she leaned back into her seat, trying to take pleasure in perhaps her last few moments of peace.  
  
=*  
  
His head was throbbing.  
Miroku was sitting cross legged on the floor, simply staring at the door to his room. He'd been in that position for thirty minutes now. His eyes were fixated on the aged wood which allowed entrance to any who wished it. It had also served as an exit way for Inuyasha, who had left a little more than a half hour before, after one of the younger children had come to say that someone was on the phone for him. The white haired boy had rushed off, obviously anxious to hear from the caller. That was, of course, because Inuyasha knew just who was calling. Miroku knew as well, though only because the other boy had confided in him months before.  
  
"Every time that there's a new moon," Inuyasha said, "my dad gets in touch with me."  
Miroku was surprised by this admission. He hadn't even thought Inuyasha's father to be alive. Apparently, his astonishment could be clearly seen on his face, for the boy sitting opposite him sighed and continued on.  
"He usually calls, just to see how I'm doing and all."  
"Why don't you live with him, then?" Miroku asked, slightly curious. When he saw the dejected look on his friend's face, he quickly realized his mistake. "It's not that I don't want you to be here or anything. Hell, I don't know what I'd do without you around. I was just wondering," he said, running his hand through his hair, "it's not like he's in prison or rehab, right?"  
Inuyasha laughed, shaking his head in dismissal of such a stupid idea. "Nah, it's nothing like that," he replied rising from where he sat. He brought himself mere inches from where Miroku sat, and crouched down in front of him, making sure that they were eye to eye. "I'll tell you what's up with him if you promise that you won't tell anyone else."  
Miroku took in the severity with which this had been said. 'He's willing to trust me,' he thought, slightly awed. He smiled, thinking just how great it was to have a friend. Raising his left hand and putting the other over his heart, he said, "I swear on my father's grave that I'll never tell a soul."  
Inuyasha nodded, taking this as a good enough pledge. Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone, his eyes darted this way and that, as if he was trying to seek out anyone that might be hiding in the room. "My father's in the Witness Protection Program."  
  
And now, here he sat.. alone. Staring at nothing; thinking of everything. It wasn't only thoughts of his friend that filled his mind, but also thoughts of their earlier discussion. He really hadn't been expecting Inuyasha to bring up his visit to the doctor, since it seemed so against his character. It wasn't that the odd featured boy didn't care; it was just that he was afraid to show it. Miroku had become used to believing that about his friend these last few years, and now that whole mind set had been ruined. Though, he had to admit he was kind of glad Inuyasha had asked. He needed someone to talk to now more than ever.  
'Though you didn't tell him everything,' he thought to himself. Miroku sighed, rubbing the balls of his hands against his sleep sore eyes. He hated fighting when he was tired, especially fighting with himself. After he had been examined yesterday, he had come straight back to his room to go to bed. But he hadn't slept much at all; no more than a few minutes probably. The majority of the night he had spent crying, silently begging the gods to help him in his time of need. He had remembered his father, and cursed himself for repeating the same mistake his predecessor had.  
When he had grown frustrated with trying to make himself fall asleep, Miroku had gotten out of bed in hopes of calming his spirit the only way he knew how: through music. Ever since he had been little and heard his father play the stringed instrument, Miroku had been enchanted with the violin. After his father's death, he had inherited it and taken it with him when he had left his home for the last time.  
And so he had played in the hours of the morning, allowing the day that had past to wash over him. He heard Doctor Kanwa telling him that his condition was steadily decreasing, that he was afraid that there wasn't much hope left. Miroku saw himself denying the fact, pleading with him to find some other treatment to help him. Reluctantly, the old man had agreed, telling him that the medication was still experimental, but that it had done well in studies. His parting words had rung in his head, reverberating off the walls of his heart:  
"This may give you time, Mr. Rijk, but it will not give you life. My estimate is that you have a year, if not less than that, left. Use your time wisely, son. I'll see you again in two weeks."  
Miroku had refrained from telling Inuyasha this fact, mainly because he did not want to see the pity that the boy was sure to display. After all, to know that you would die before you turned eighteen was not exactly the best news.  
Wiping his eyes quickly, Miroku rose to leave his room. Kaede had asked that he come to tell her the results of his doctor's appointment, and Miroku was sure she was impatient to know.  
Opening the door, he looked back one final time, the tune he had been playing still hovering in the air. His father had written it a long time ago. A whim that he said needed to be fulfilled. He closed the door silently behind him as he made his way to the staircase leading to the lower levels of Tanrei House.  
'After I talk to Kaede, I'll go outside for a while,' Miroku decided, as he began the descent. He gripped the railing a little harder than necessary since his head was still feeling rather light. But a mere headache would not deter him from either of his excursions. Both were too important to be brushed aside by such a trivial matter; he'd just have to suck it up and pick up some aspirin at the infirmary. Besides, with winter coming, this could be one of his last chances to go outdoors for quite some time.  
  
=*  
  
'There are bars over the windows?' Kagome thought, more than a little taken back. She was definitely not expecting such a jail like quality to be apparent on a group foster home. Mrs. Chan's Toyota was currently making its way up the gravel drive that led to the imposing structure, an almost medieval era cast iron gate slowly opening as they made their approach.  
'This is all too surreal,' Kagome decided as she took in the spiked heads of the gateway. As they entered, she turned her head to watch the gates as they closed back up, a loud 'clang' audible as they came together. Bringing her eyes back to the front of the car, she made a quick sweep of her surroundings. This place was definitely like a castle, complete with little towers at the top of each of the four corners of the structure. The building was basically the outline of a huge square, with the interior left empty of any structure whatsoever, so that it was solely occupied by a gigantic courtyard. The drive made its way through the courtyard, and every now and then Kagome would see children playing some game or another. Other times she'd just see kids lazing about, talking with one another or reading.  
'Apparently this is free time,' she guessed, simultaneously wondering why they weren't in classes. After all, it was still not that late in the day. Glancing around her a final time, she realized that there were no bars on the windows looking in.  
'A safety measure then, to keep kids from escaping into the outside world?' Kagome wondered, the thought seeming queer even to her. She brushed it off as the car came to a stop at what she supposed was the entrance to the place. A set of wooden doors, that seemed too small for such a grand structure, opened to reveal an old woman. A soft smile adorned her weathered face, as she came down the stone steps leading to the grounds of the building, her flower printed dress swaying with her movements. Kagome's eyes remained transfixed on her progress even as she heard Mrs. Chan exit the car to greet the woman. She watched the two embrace and exchange pleasantries, Mrs. Chan turning once to beckon the girl still sitting in the back of the car. Hesitantly, Kagome opened the car door, looking at them over the roof of the vehicle. The smile that the old woman gave her made Kagome feel oddly comfortable, and enabled her to walk around the car towards the two. Standing before the woman, Kagome had to look down to see her face and the smile it still held. Mrs. Chan put a hand on her shoulder, a gesture that Kagome barely registered, and introduced her.  
"Kaede Baisho, I would like to introduce Kagome Higurashi. She will be staying here until further notice."  
Kagome offered a small smile to whom she supposed was the head of this establishment, trying to keep her attention focused on the situation at hand. She couldn't shake off the feeling as if someone was watching her though. She tried to look around her in an inconspicuous manner, not hearing the rest of the words Mrs. Chan was saying. Feeling a sudden pull of energy from directly above her, she lifted her head to look up the row upon row of windows until she stopped at the fourth and last floor. There, in the sixth window from the left corner, Kagome could have sworn she saw a glimpse of white hair. Blinking in surprise, when she looked again, nothing was there.  
'This is definitely an odd day,' she thought, eyes still focused on the window above.  
"Kagome? Kagome, child, do ye hear me?"  
"Hm?" Kagome responded, glancing back down at the sound of Kaede's cultured voice.  
"I only wished to extend a welcome to ye, Kagome," Kaede said, taking a hold of her hand. "Welcome to your new home."  
  
=*  
  
Inuyasha slid his back down the wall underneath the windowsill until his body made contact with the floor. His entire body felt numb, but he was almost positive that he must be shaking.  
'It's not every day you see a ghost,' he thought, raising a hand to his face.  
After talking to his father for a half hour on the phone, Inuyasha had felt content, pretty much because he knew his dad was doing okay. It always made him happy to hear the older man's voice and never failed to remind him of good times that seemed to have happened so long ago.  
Inuyasha had left the main office downstairs in a relatively good mood and decided to go up to his normal thinking spot up on the fourth floor. He used to sit there everyday when he first came, waiting for his father or brother to come and get him-- a habit he soon overcame. That was when Inuyasha's room had been right across the hall from his window perch, which was before he realized that he did not hold one of the boy's on his floor in high regards.  
After an incident involving him, Kouga and a chair, Inuyasha had been moved down to the third floor to live with the younger boys. This proved to be a good thing, because not only did Inuyasha get some privacy, but the infirmary was finally able to go for longer than a week without seeing a beaten and bruised boy. That didn't mean that Inuyasha was prohibited from being on the fourth floor though. As long as he didn't lose his temper, visiting one of his favorite spots (or his friend) was allowed.  
When he had first sat down on the ledge, Inuyasha wasn't at all surprised to see a car coming in through the gates. Social workers were in and out of Tanrei House all the time, whether they were talking to their cases or introducing new foster parents, though the latter happened quite infrequently. He became interested when he saw not only an unfamiliar social worker, but a girl come out of the parked car, Kaede approaching them.  
'What is up with this?' he mused, a wolfish grin crossing his features as he continued to stare at the girl. From where he sat, she seemed to be decent looking, though he really couldn't see her face. Her clothes were simple enough, black being the basic color scheme.  
'Either she's trying to be gothic or she just got back from a funeral,' he deduced, the two of which were definite possibilities. Inuyasha watched as her social worker introduced the girl to Kaede, who was apparently meant to welcome her to the home. One moment he was looking at the top of her head, the next, Inuyasha was staring straight into her face. His golden eyes widened at what he saw, and he quickly hopped down off the sill.  
"Kikyou.." he muttered in a daze, hand still pressed against his face. Taking in a deep breath, Inuyasha pinched his cheek, hoping that all this was just a dream. Having to deal with Miroku's illness was one thing, but to see your dead girlfriend..  
Needless to say, he was disappointed when he didn't wake up from the pain.  
  
=*  
  
"One Way Window"  
by MxPx  
  
There's barriers in my mind  
That I think about all the time  
And I know there's no way to get away  
From the things that people say  
Well I guess that's just part of it all  
My one way window where I can't hide  
My one way window where I can't see the other side 


End file.
